The Bonds of Time
by Seizalyn
Summary: Even though the UBS III is over, the Recca-gumi have yet to find out that certain battles cannot be fought on a battlefield. The battle of the heart. Of the mind. Of the soul. Chapter Three up! Ch. One & Two revised slightly ^_^
1. Default Chapter

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** This is the first (but not the only! :) multi-chapter fanfic that I have ever posted on the Net...and if the title sounds familiar and you feel as if you've read it before, somewhere, then don't bother pounding the thought out of your head -- because it's probably true ^_^ Granted, this fanfic is old. Very old. Couple of years, in fact. I started it while still in my FoR-otaku mode, but somewhere around the middle the plot and the writing killed itself and took me along with it @_@ Until this day I still don't know why...might be because I started swaying to the video game fandom... 

Ack! o.O;;; You didn't just hear that! You didn't! *pastes a big cloth over the above sentence with the word "You didn't hear it!" written on it* 

Somehow, I was dragged back into the fandom (I guess you'll always be a FoR fan no matter how far you stray ^^) and back to this fanfic, consequently. I almost cringed myself to death while reading the first chapter -- it was so terrible I felt sorry for the poor people on the FoR MLs who read it ^-^ I couldn't bring myself to rewrite it at first (laziness kicking in right there) but I was determined to post this fanfic up somewhere! And no way in all heck am I gonna post a version that made me cringe to the point of experiencing a convulsion ^^;; 

So I rewrote it. Can't tell if it's good or not, though ^^;; If it's not, I'm hoping it'll at least be better than what I wrote previously ^_^ Unfortunately, when I rewrite things I tend to lengthen them. A lot. So I apologise, right here and right now, for its extremely long length; I just can't seem to find a good place to stop @_@;;; And I stake no claims over the fact that the characters get _way_ OT every three seconds x_x Blame Mikagami, he made me do it. 

Mikagami: LIAR!  
Lynn: *shoves him into her closet* Ignore him. For once ^o^ 

C&C are more than welcomed! *_* ...Please? I really need some feedback on the fic. Gotta know if it sucks or not ^^ BTW, thanx to Christina-chan, Natsumi-sama, Kchan and Cho-san for taking the time to answer my questions! *o* Arigatou! 

...And wasn't this a long note? Oog. 

**SPOILERS:** Beware! This is a post-anime fic, which means that it starts where the anime series ends. Spoilers abound on, well...everything, naturally ^_^ As if that's anything new, though ^^;;; 

**TRANSLATION:**  
'niichan = older brother  
'neechan = older sister  
hai = yes  
baka = idiot  
komban wa = good evening 

===============  
The Bonds of Time  
Chapter 1: Aftermath  
=============== 

"It's gonna crash!" 

The explosion was deafening to their ears, blinding to their eyes, striking the searing thought of death into their minds as rubble rained down upon the spectators of the Ura Butou Satsujin. Their panicked screams echoed off the walls as everyone tried to push their way through the crowd, hoping to escape from being crushed by the rapidly collapsing dome. 

"Damn it, get out of my way!" 

It was an ironic situation as their panicked rush was the very reason why barely anyone managed to get out of the arena. 

Everything had happened so fast; for some reason, while the battle between the two captains was raging on within the ring, another figure had emerged from the shadows to join them. Words were exchanged, but they soon gave way to those unusual flames being thrown around -- evidently, the newcomer was very much unwanted by the two fighters. 

Then the stunning explosion of blinding white light, and the rush, and screams... 

Yet the dome did not collapse, and no one was hurt. All that appeared was a shield of red light, encasing the arena and holding building's frame together, preventing it from crashing down upon its occupants. Then the silence, a stark contrast to the earlier commotion, accompanied by varied murmurs of confusion. 

Weren't they supposed to be dead by now? 

And at the centre of those whispers, covered by dust and blood, was Hanabishi Recca...with the kanji of 'Madoka' shining on his arm. 

*** 

"And so, the winner and new champion of the Ura Butou Satsujin is...the one and only, Team Hokage!" 

The referees Tatsuko and Demi announced grandly to the crowd, joining their hands above them as a sign of victory. The audience, finally realising who had saved them from an imminent death, cheered ecstatically in response -- for during the entire period of the tournament, Team Hokage had, surprisingly, managed to rake in a large number of supporters as they steadily progressed from one round to another. 

They hooted and hollered, waving their hands and pumping their fists in support, as the flag of Fuuko's Fan Club waved proudly in the air, tarnished only by minimum dust and grime; and Recca couldn't help the satisfied grin, knowing that they had finally achieved their victory. 

"Recca-kun!" The shout from above alerted him to her presence. 

Sakoshita Yanagi, ecstatic with joy and flooded with relief at seeing her Ninja safe and alive, immediately jumped off the ledge without quite thinking of the consequences, and landed on a surprised Recca. It was something quite out of character for the usually demure girl, but she couldn't help it. The relief, the joy, the knowledge that she wouldn't spend another night worrying about what was to come...it was wonderful. It dissipated a heavy burden she hadn't even known existed, and her shoulders had never felt lighter. 

She continued hugging Recca tightly, feeling the stress and tension over the last few days releasing themselves from her conscience... 

They were safe. 

They were alive. 

They had won. 

One tear soon gave way to many, starting a gentle flow down her cheeks, but Yanagi didn't mind. They were tears of joy after all, and this was a happy occasion. Not the sad one that she had feared would happen all this time. 

Before Recca could utter even a word, he saw his childhood friend, Kirisawa Fuuko jump off the same ledge as well; followed by thirteen-year old Koganei Kaoru; and finally, his schoolmate Ishijima Domon, who proceeded to crush the first four under his large form when he landed. As Fuuko playfully punched the latter, too excited to actually be seriously angry about anything right now, the rest were congratulating one another and being congratulated for their victory. Even the referees took their turns, with Tatsuko placing a playful kiss on the Flame Caster's cheek. 

How happy they were at their attained victory, did they fail to notice that the last member of Team Hokage had remained on the ledge, arms folded, his madougu kept in his bloodied jacket for the time being. Kage Houshi glanced at the oldest member of the team, her eyes curious yet hinting that she already knew the answer to the question she posed. 

"...Why don't you go down there and celebrate with them? After all, this victory includes you as well, doesn't it? Mikagami." 

Mikagami Tokiya glanced at her through the corners of his eyes, the only sign that he had even heard her, before immediately reverting them to the scene below. 

"I have no part in this victory. I lost my battle with Kai. I didn't contribute to this round at all...it isn't a victory that I may claim." As he absently fingered the left side of his coat, a faint frown appeared as his fingers reached the part that was dampened by his blood. 

The blood...that came from his battle with Kai... 

The frown disappeared as quickly as it came, and Mikagami abruptly turned to the walkway behind him. For some reason, the sounds of cheering brought a strange tightness to his throat, a twist to his stomach. His surroundings seemed misty and the voices around him were muffled, melding the individual chants into a union of seemingly unintelligible noise. He felt his breathing become laboured; his eyes were burning. 

Had he lost too much blood in the fight? 

_'I have to go back...get out of this place...'_

He had taken only a few steps however, when Kage Houshi's soft voice rang out, "Are you sure, Mikagami-kun? You don't think you deserve this win, at all?" 

Although he didn't turn around to face her, Mikagami's voice rang out clearly against the loud cheers of the crowd, the deadly calm from before giving way to just the slightest bit of hopelessness. Of loss. 

"I lost, Kagero-san. It's...as simple as that. I lost." 

And with that, he left the battle dome, with the crowd chanting the words 'Hokage' over and over again behind him. 

*** 

"Maa, it's still so hard to believe that we actually won!" Yanagi exclaimed as the group walked down the empty corridor nearly an hour later, tired but still not quite recovered from the excitement. 

The congratulations had been numerous; almost as if everyone from the entire arena had come to praise them! It was a complete 180 turnabout from their earlier treatment, when nobody had even entertained the thought of Team Hokage winning the tournament. But they had. And they had done so successfully. 

She gave the group a heartening smile, absently taking in their worn out appearance. Even though everyone was still energetic, she had no doubt that they'd fall asleep the second their heads touched the pillow. 

Maybe a nice dinner would wake them up? 

"You can say that again, Yanagi-chan!" Fuuko laughed, a small sweatdrop hovering above her head. She had never doubted her fighting abilities, of course; but to think of winning and actually achieving it were two very different things. The realisation that they -- they! -- were the champions... 

"Who would have thought that a group of high school students..." Fuuko continued, glancing at Koganei with a smile, "...plus someone from junior high would actually be the champions of something like this?! It seems...I don't know...everything feels so unreal, for some reason." 

She shook her head in disbelief. "...Like a dream..." 

"No way, even in a dream you couldn't possibly win the tournament...It's not a dream, Fuuko-neechan. More like a miracle!" Nine-year old Ganko's blue eyes were bright with pleasant surprise, incredulity, and just the tiniest hint of adoration -- for the moment, at least. Even she had been overwhelmed by their victory just like everyone else. 

Well, almost everyone. 

Her stuffed fox was ever-present perched nicely on her head, fox-ears wagging mischievously as he stated impishly, "It's kinda weird that morons like you guys would be able to win something as deadly as this...The Fates must be screwing with ya." 

Domon, who was walking beside Ganko, stopped and peered at the fox with the Kansai dialect, "Who are you calling a baka?!" 

Kondo retorted, "Who else, blockhead? You! Something's definitely screwy for ya to actually win *your* battle! I mean, even Mikagami lost his, and here you are, winning that battle with Noroi..." 

"Why you--" 

Snatching Kondo by the tail from Ganko's head, Domon proceeded to get into one of many of his fights with it. The fox wailed in response, absently noting that his master hadn't protested too much when he was snatched away. Fuuko and Ganko sweatdropped, not doing much more that that. They knew better than to get in way of the fights. 

Hopefully, Yanagi still had a few more rolls of thread to repair Kondo with by the time they were done. 

Leaving the largest member of their team to fight with a stuffed fox less than a quarter of his size, they rounded the corner to catch up to the other members of the group, with Ganko muttering "Baaaka..." on the way. 

*** 

As they neared their suite, Koganei's head swirled back and forth, his mess of hair flying as he looked this way and that, suddenly realized something. What Kondo had said about Mikagami's battle reminded him that they were missing a certain someone. Not finding his target, he tugged at Yanagi's sleeve, "Speaking of that...Yanagi-neechan, where did Mikagami-niichan go?" 

Yanagi blinked in surprise. Recca, who overheard the question, looked around, surprised as well. Much to their amazement and due to the excitement, they hadn't noticed that Mikagami wasn't with them. He hadn't even appeared when the other contestants were congratulating them. 

"...I'm not sure, Kaoru-kun. Did he leave early?" Yanagi answered with a question of her own. She did remember him standing over her while the battles were commencing, but after that... 

Yet it was to be expected, in a way. Mikagami was always so quiet anytime they headed back to their suite, always walking at the very back of the group, it was no surprise that they hadn't noticed that he was missing. Kage Houshi shook her head, placing a comforting hand on Koganei's shoulder. "I wouldn't worry about him, Kaoru-kun. Mikagami-kun left earlier; I'm sure that he has returned to his room to rest up." 

"That reminds me," Recca asked aloud, "Why didn't Mikagami come down with you guys? And why did he just leave like that? Come on, he wasn't *that* injured, was he?" 

Even though they had fought together before in a double bout, and had learned to trust one another in battle, Recca still couldn't comprehend what the Hyomon Ken master was thinking about, time to time -- or rather, nearly all the time. It was so hard to read the older teen's thinking that, more often than not, all he could do was shoot blindly and hoped he hit the right target. The only time they ever seemed to connect was in battle. Other than that, his mother seemed to be the only one in tune with Mikagami's reserved mind. 

Kage Houshi didn't answer the Flame Caster's questions, feeling that this time, it wouldn't be a good idea to let her son know why she thought Mikagami wasn't in the mood to celebrate. She was almost one hundred percent sure that it was the real reason why he had proclaimed that he lost. But it was not her place to convey that reason; such an action would come better from Mikagami himself. 

_'Maybe I should talk to him about it, later on. When everything has settled down, maybe...'_ she pondered, her maternal instinct surfacing as it always did whenever dealing with any of the Hokage. 

Recca glanced curiously at his mother, wondering why she was ignoring his questions. Kage Houshi always seemed to have an answer to everything; to remain silent on a subject implied something serious was happening. Couple that with the fact that this was related to Mikagami, a friend of theirs whether he admitted it or not... 

Ah. The curiousity was eating at him now. 

_'Should I ask? I'm not gonna be able to sleep tonight if I don't...but...'_

The mere stubborn expression on her face kept his questions at bay. It was a stubbornness that would make her refuse to say anything she felt she shouldn't say, and make her refuse to do something she felt shouldn't do. Somehow, he knew she would just find a way to avoid his questions until she was ready to answer them. It was an attribute he'd come to deal with since she moved in with him and his dad. 

_'What the heck! Maybe we'll find Mikagami later, then we'll find out what's up with him.'_ Recca affirmed his decision with a decisive nod. As he unlocked the door to their suite, he called over his shoulder to the rest, "Oi! You guys back there! Hurry it up, will ya? Or do you want me to lock you out?" 

A cry of protest erupted from Ganko, and she and Fuuko began jogging to the four ahead. Domon and Kondo had also stopped fighting, and in the midst of jogging to their suite, Ganko was trying vainly to restore her badly-beaten stuffed fox from a pile of fur to his original form. His opponent had a vaguely triumphant look on his face. 

As soon as Recca and the others caught sight of Kondo's situation, a huge sweatdrop befell them all. It was easy for the other four to realize what had happened between Domon and Kondo. Their fights were infamous. 

Not bothering to hide his grin as Fuuko scolded Domon for doing such a horrible thing to a toy, of all things, whilst Yanagi and Ganko tried to restore Kondo's original shape, Recca pushed open the door and was surprised to find the lights in the living room on. The ceiling fan was also spinning, slowly. 

"Hello? Mikagami-niichan? You here?" Koganei asked aloud. It was weird. The lights and fan were on, but nobody was around. 

The door to the kitchen opened suddenly, and out came Mikagami with a cup of hot, freshly brewed tea in his hands. A faint arch of an eyebrow was all that showed he acknowledged their arrival. "Hai?" 

He had, by then, already changed into another outfit of his -- long slacks and a collared-shirt with long sleeves. In what appeared to be a sudden bout of untidiness, the sleeves were sloppily drawn up to his elbows, and his still-damp hair seemed to have been tied up rather hastily as several more strands than usual stood out from the ponytail. 

Kage Houshi tilted her head as she subtly studied his appearance, noting the condition he was in. To the untrained eye, the Ensui master probably looked as normal as he usually did...but as far as she could tell, the slightest bit of tardiness or disorganisation weren't attributes of Mikagami's. Something was wrong; the faint exhaustion in his eyes pointed to something much deeper than mere tiredness. 

Relief was apparent in Koganei's face as he laughed slightly, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly, "Oh, nothing...Nothing! Just wondering where you were..." 

It earned him a nod from the older teen, but nothing more. 

As the latter walked over to a nearby window, resting his elbows on the frames as he gazed out in characteristic silence, Recca felt that there was something...different about Mikagami today. It was as if his mind were constantly a million miles away, lost in some thought or another. 

_'Now that I think about it, he's had been acting that way ever since last night, when Koku appeared.'_ A quick glance at Koganei showed that the junior high student was thinking somewhere along the same lines. 

"Hey! How 'bout a little space here?! We can't get through, damn it!" 

Recognizing the voice as that of Kondo's, Recca sighed and realized that Yanagi and Ganko had managed to piece the noisy stuffed toy back together. Shoot. 

Nevertheless, he did move out of the doorway and to the side, opposite Koganei, and the others started to filter in. Fuuko exclaimed in surprise when she saw Mikagami, "Mi-chan! So there you are! I was wondering where you'd disappeared to." 

Mikagami's gaze shifted in their direction once again at Fuuko's greeting. Again, he gave a nod, adding a short "Komban wa..." after that. 

Once inside, everyone began getting comfortable, and Mikagami returned to the kitchen. Domon, sitting on the long sofa, stretched and proclaimed loudly, "Hey, I'm hungry! How 'bout having a large dinner so we can celebrate, hmm? With lots of food, and dessert, and--" 

"Are you nuts?!" Recca exclaimed from the couch opposite Domon, as he stopped running a hand through his ruffled black hair and jumped up, "We just got back from the tournament, in case you've forgotten! Hime can't possibly cook a large dinner for us now! After healing all our injuries, she's just damn tired--" 

Domon waved a hand to shut the Flame Caster up, "I didn't want Yanagi-san to *cook* for us, baka! I meant going to a restaurant! I hear the winners get a big discount tonight." Never one to miss out on a free, or potentially cheaper meal, he winked conspiratorily at his fellow teammates. 

Yanagi, as she sat sandwiched between Recca and Koganei, had a very relieved look on her face. She liked cooking, yes. But to cook a meal for a group as large as theirs, and in the condition she was in, would be plain torture. She had been thinking of heading to a restaurant as well, only Domon had voiced the idea earlier. She leaned forward eagerly, "What do you have in mind, Domon?" 

Domon gave her a huge grin, glad that she asked him first for the intended destination of their dinner. He knew exactly where he wanted to go. Settling back into his seat, he continued, "Well, I was walking around yesterday, looking around the place, when I came across this totally awesome restaurant! Heard of...The Seaview?" 

Everyone shook their heads, much to his disgust. 

"What?! I can't believe you guys don't even know about The Seaview!!" Domon acted as if mentioning the very name of the restaurant was a privilege, much to the others' amusement. "The food there's the greatest! Plus, their prices are so darn cheap that even someone like you, Hanabishi, would be able to pay for it!" 

Insulted, Recca jumped up and immediately grabbed him in a head-lock, "And just what was that supposed to mean, mongoloid?!" 

Before Domon could reply, Yanagi's voice rang out, halting the two from continuing what would be another fight, "Oh, Recca-kun! Why don't you let Domon finish talking first? I'm interested in hearing about this restaurant; I've heard that it's really famous around this part of Tokyo..." 

At his Hime's command, Recca immediately released his hands, and the other teen fell unceremoniously onto the floor. Fuuko, who had also been listening to Domon's review of the restaurant, asked pointedly, "So, where is it? If it's so famous, shouldn't we have heard of it from somewhere?" 

Domon got up and returned to his seat, absently rubbing his neck, "Actually, it just opened in this hotel a few days ago...Hmm. If I remember correctly, it's a few floors down, above the floor where all the other restaurants are. And I think there was a sign saying that they would give a discount on their prices if the number of people eating in a group was above six." 

"Great! And considering that we're the winners here..." Koganei smirked, fangs and all, "We'll practically eat for free!" As if to make sure though, he turned to Recca's mother, "Kage Houshi-san, you're coming, right?" 

She nodded, and Ganko butted in, "So am I! And Kondo too!" 

He stared at the blonde pig-tailed girl, then rolled his eyes and said, "Ganko no baka! I don't think they would actually count a stuffed fox as part of the group." 

Ganko blew him a raspberry, "Either way, I'm bringing him along!" 

Kondo also gave his own two cents, "Yeah! Whaddya mean I'm not part of the group?! I can't eat twice as much as you can, ya little runt!" 

Thus the result was an argument between boy and stuffed fox. Kondo seemed to be picking fights left and right. Recca got up, taking some time to stretch before rubbing his hands together in anticipation of a huge dinner. 

"All right then! I guess we'll go there for dinner, since it's okay with everyone. I mean, if they have discounts and all that...Why not?" He grinned at that. "We have half an hour to shower, change and do what other things you want to do. Let's go, people! I'm starving!" 

And he started for the shower in his room, intent on reaching it before Domon did. However, his progress was marred by a question from Koganei. "What about Mikagami-niichan? Isn't he coming too?" 

Recca sweatdropped as he realized that he had once again completely forgotten about the Ensui wielder. 

As if on cue, Mikagami stepped out of the kitchen at that moment, his cup washed and left dry on the kitchen counter. Fuuko noticed him and asked, "Mi-chan, you *are* coming too, right?" 

Obviously, he had heard the entire conversation from the kitchen, for he answered, "No." 

Koganei jumped up, startled, "Why not?!" 

Mikagami sighed, closing his eyes briefly before refocusing them on the younger teen. He could still feel that burning sensation even when he closed them. "I have no intention of joining you, and I don't think that I actually need to disclose my reasons for it. Do I?" 

At that, Koganei faulted slightly. My, wasn't someone grouchy today. But he kept his questioning gaze on the Ensui wielder, silently demanding an answer. Or better yet, for the latter to accept their invitation and go along. He couldn't understand it, sometimes! After all this time together, Mikagami still couldn't seem to be a part of the group, couldn't seem to socialise with them on a more intimate basis. 

_'Or maybe he just wouldn't.'_ Koganei bit his lip at that thought. Admittedly, Recca and Domon did get a little embarrassing from time to time...but he doubted it was so terrible that he'd want to section himself off from the team. What was it that kept Mikagami so distanced from them? Did he feel unaccepted? Awkward? 

_'Why, 'niichan? They would even accept someone like me, someone who used to be their enemy! I just don't understand you sometimes...'_

"But this isn't just for celebration. It's dinner too! Are you saying you don't even want to have dinner?" Fuuko asked. 

"No." Then, as if in a bid to end Koganei's questioning glance, Mikagami continued, "Look, I just don't feel up to celebrating right now. I'm tired, and I'm sleepy. And that's why I'm going to bed right after this." 

Recca pointed out, "But it's only nine." 

"So I'm going to bed early! You have a problem with that?" 

Yes, Mikagami was cranky. It was evident from the irritation that managed to creep into that last sentence, marring his normally flat statements. He wanted to simply sleep away everything that happened, everything that he felt, and everything that he discovered during those seven long days. 

And he wanted to be alone. He didn't think he could bear to watch his teammates celebrating a victory that wasn't his. 

Recca scowled noticeably at the snap, but refrained from saying anything else. Whatever he said next wouldn't have been pretty anyway. Fuuko and Koganei were about to protest, when Kage Houshi spoke up, "If Mikagami-kun doesn't want to join us for dinner, then we should respect his decision." 

She stood up at that, smoothening her dress before turned to face him, "You do look slightly weary...Maybe it is for the better of things that you remain here, to rest up. We're leaving tomorrow morning after all, and we will all need as much rest as possible." 

There was a sort of finality in her tone, signalling the end of any questions or protests. Everyone seemed to understand that, and departed to their rooms. 

Koganei, who was sharing a room with Mikagami, couldn't leave it at that. Closing the door to ensure they weren't overheard, he asked one last time in the privacy of their room, "Mikagami-niichan...Are you sure you don't want to come with us?" 

A worried tone was all that could be detected, as if he were afraid of what might happen if the Hyomon Ken master were to be left alone. It was an indescribable worry, almost as if his gut feeling were telling him to keep the older teen under his watch at all times. Instinctively, he recalled the fight with Kai. He recalled the shocking news that had been revealed at the very end of that fight. And he recalled how Mikagami had completely disregarded that discovery, focussing his complete attention on the following battles, not even letting himself think of anything other than the fights ahead. 

Yes, he was worried. Very. 

As if sensing Koganei's apprehension at leaving him alone, Mikagami sighed, his voice missing the cold edge that had just been used earlier. "Yes, Koganei. I'm sure. I just...need to be alone for awhile..." 

Pulling on the new shirt and shorts that Yanagi had bought for him, Koganei nodded, not quite understanding but knowing when not to prod. He could only go so far with his 'niichan' before overstepping the limit. What he could understand, however, was that Mikagami needed time alone to think, without the ruckus that was always around that were usually caused either by Domon fighting with Kondo, Domon fighting with Recca, or Domon hitting on Fuuko and getting his butt whipped again. 

Before he left the room though, Koganei gave the older teen a weak grin, "Take care, 'niichan...And don't do anything--rash while we're gone..." 

The door closed, and the rest of Team Hokage left for their dinner, leaving Mikagami alone in his room. 

~tbc~


	2. Silver Fire

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Here it is, the second chapter! ^_^ I'm trying to set a one-week time limit on myself, just to make sure I don't go stopping halfway and never write another chapter again (you know, how you'll procrastinate and procrastinate to the point where you completely lose all interest in doing whatever it was you're procrastinating about? Right, that. I'm known for doing that ^^) Many thanks for your reviews and feedback, by the way, minna-san! *snickers at the PMS comment* 

Lynn: *looks at Mikagami*  
Mikagami: ......... *won't look back*  
Lynn: *pokes him* Mi-chaaaaaaaan...aren't you going to say anything?  
Mikagami: I'm not talking to you! BAKA! *sulks in a corner*  
Lynn: *falls off her chair laughing* 

And as for the obvious similarities between both versions...it's because I sorta added in a couple of paragraphs and removed some, eh heh ^^;; I guess the changes aren't very clear now, but believe me, the overall plot has changed drastically. It's just, er...well, since I hadn't even gotten into the plot much yet, I guess it isn't that obvious ^_^;; Thanks for reading the previous version, though! And if you have the time, I'd love to know what you thought of that and this version's differences ^.^ 

*goes back to trying to get Mikagami to talk to her* 

**WARNING:** Language. Well, nothing so bad you'd want to refrain from (at least, in my opinion ^^) but there is a bit (very small bit!) of swearing in here, so you might want to keep an eye on that ^_^ 

**DISCLAIMER:** I kinda forgot to add this to the first chapter (actually, to all my fics o.O) so here it is! I don't own Flame of Recca or it's characters. No profit is being made out of this fic, just fun. Fisurra Shun does belong to me, though. And, uh...so does The Seaview! ^o^;;; Yikes! My second chapter and I've already stuffed an original character in it! o.o;;; 

===============  
The Bonds of Time  
Chapter 2: Silver Fire  
=============== 

"Tired, my foot! What a totally lame excuse..." 

Recca continued to mutter various other colourful expletives to himself as he walked alongside his companions to The Seaview, not caring even as he attracted several curious stares from the many other inhabitants of the hotel. It wasn't as if his entire world crumbled away to meaningless dust of no consequence whenever Mikagami wasn't around. 

Far from it. 

Rather, it was the way Mikagami had snapped at him when he made a silly comment that got him into such a sour mood. 

_'There I go actually worrying about that asshole, and there *he* goes being all snappy about nothing! What the hell's his damn problem, anyway?'_

The Flame Caster let out a low growl. It was just so *hard* to understand him! It always had been, so much so that Recca had considered Mikagami's willingness to work with them in the Ura Butou Satsujin a miracle of life. 

Yet just when it seemed as if they were finally breaking through the barrier, slipping past that icy facade, that stuck-up attitude and that detached aloofness which the Hyomon Ken master never failed to show every minute of every day, Mikagami just had to snap at him with the coldness that he used during their first meeting by the fountain. It was as if the end of the Ura Butou Satsujin also meant the end of Mikagami's gradually changing demeanour, causing him to revert back to his original icy personality. 

Recca was beginning to think that Mikagami's attitude could never change. 

"Let me guess...You're wondering which would be better to use to slap Mi-chan around with after we get back. Saiha? Or Nadare?" 

Recca turned towards the voice and saw that it was Fuuko who spoke, a humourous glint in her eyes indicating that she was trying to cheer him up from his increasingly infuriated mood. 

A grim smile touched his lips faintly as he shook his head, muttering sourly, "Iie...Rather, I was of just trapping him in one of Madoka's barriers -- y'know, to let him 'chill' himself out." 

Ouch. Fuuko flinched visibly at that, smacking her forehead and letting out a mournful groan at the stupendously bad pun. Her head moving side to side, as if she were trying to shake the pun out of her memory, she muttered behind her hand, "Stick to fighting, ninja boy; you stink at making jokes!" 

"As if you're any better," Recca retorted, feeling his own spirits lift at this light-hearted banter. It was silly, it was meaningless, it was definitely less painful than the techniques she usually used to break him out of his sombre moods -- but it was what usually happened between the two childhood friends when they weren't kicking the crap out of one another. 

And it was what made Fuuko, the sole person in the entire group whom he'd known since elementary school, so special to him. 

It was said that childhood friends had a special bond between one another -- such a bond couldn't be more obvious when one considered the often strange and quirky relationship between Recca and Fuuko. It was what drove him and Domon to save her while under Fuujin's control; it was what drove her to assist him in return during the tournament. 

_'Being grumpy was plain stupid. I'm s'posed to be celebrating now, damn it!'_ Recca reprimanded himself mentally, resisting the urge to smack himself. Why ever should he let his good mood change just because of a snap from Mikagami? 

Yanagi kept quiet, having been just a little bit unsure of how to handle Recca's fuming anger. It wasn't like him to take anything personally, but Mikagami's irate remark seemed to have hit the right spot. A small smile pulled at her lips when she saw her ninja's mood change, his wide grin as he and Fuuko continued exchanging insults on one another's sad abilities at making reasonably funny jokes. 

His spirit was obviously starting to lift up. 

She was glad that he wasn't doting on Mikagami's decision any longer, although Yanagi herself was slightly curious as to why the latter didn't want to join them. Turning to Kage Houshi, who was walking beside her, she posed her question softly, not wanting to attract Recca's attention. No need to remind him of what had created his bad mood in the first place. 

"Kage Houshi-san...Do you know why Mikagami-senpai won't join us?" 

Recca's mother seemed to be the most logical person to ask. She was insightful, and her motherly instinct seemed to give her an awareness of the small, but nonetheless important things that most people wouldn't have noticed at all. Yanagi supposed that living for four hundred years *would* increase one's awareness of one's surroundings. 

_'Besides, she was the last person who saw Mikagami before he left the battle dome, so...'_ her train of thought was interrupted at Kage Houshi's answer.

"Didn't he just say so, Yanagi-chan? He was tired, and needed rest," she offered in reply, keeping her eyes ahead as they walked. 

Yanagi looked slightly doubtful at the answer. Subtly peering into the older woman's face, she tried valiantly to figure out what the latter was hiding, yet the enigmatic smile on her lips gave away nothing. To someone who couldn't hear what was being said, it would look as if Yanagi had simply commented on the nice weather, and Kage Houshi had smiled in agreement. 

"...I don't believe that," Yanagi stated, a light frown on her forehead. 

"Neither do I." 

Both Yanagi and Kagero glanced at Fuuko, who had evidently heard their whispered conversation. Then again, she had always had sharp instincts to begin with. The rest of the group stopped to stare at her. 

"What do you mean by that, Fuuko?" Domon asked, curious at the amount of attention Mikagami was getting simply because he didn't want to go out for dinner with them. He really didn't see what the big deal was, though; if the Ensui master didn't want to eat, it was his stomach that suffered, not theirs. So what was the big deal? And who were they to force him? 

_'Maybe it's because he looks like a walking skeleton.'_ An image of a super-deformed Mikagami being tied to a chair while everyone else force-fed him flashed through his mind, but Domon immediately cast it aside at Recca's statement. 

"Of course you don't believe it! Because it's not true," he said simply, though with a slight bit of sarcasm in his tone, "He probably thinks that, what with the tournament being over, there's no need for an oh-so-superior bishounen swordsman like himself to be hanging around with monkeys like us. That's why he didn't want to come." 

He knew that he might have exaggerated slightly, maybe even hit far off the mark with the 'bishounen' part. Whatever could be said about his personality, Mikagami was not vain. 

_'Still, he's definitely acting superior. Idiot...'_

Recca had never liked that sort of attitude, and the thought that one of their own teammates thought himself better than the rest was enough to make his blood boil. He respected Mikagami, to a certain degree, and he expected respect in return. 

"That's not true!" a voice piped up from behind. 

Everyone turned around in surprise to face Koganei, and the thirteen-year old was treated with an array of confused expressions. Only Fuuko and Kage Houshi seemed to know what was going on.

"Um, well...What I mean is..." a frown creased his forehead as Koganei silently debated whether or not to let out the real reason why Mikagami did not join them. _'Mikagami-niichan wouldn't want them to know if he went so far as to pretend, but...'_

Then again, he wasn't even sure if his speculation was correct. "Umm, well..." he winced at that stutter. What happened to his usually quick tongue? 

"Forget it, Kaoru-kun. I'll tell them," Fuuko said sympathetically, seeing how troubled Koganei was at the moment. The younger teen nodded, and everyone turned their attention to the Fuujin master, who in turn fixed Domon, Yanagi and Ganko with A Look. 

"I'm sure we all know what happened during our fight with Uruha Kurenai...What we found out?" 

All three, however, were clueless. 

Recca was confused, "Found out?" 

Fuuko ignored him and pressed on, "During Mi-chan's fight...Remember?" 

As soon as she mentioned 'fight', Yanagi understood immediately. She nodded, her usually cheerful face looking slightly downcast. Ganko seemed to have understood at that moment as well, choosing to stand aside and leave Fuuko to deal with the clueless Domon and confused Recca. 

"Remember what?" Recca asked again. 

Domon didn't seem to get it, and Fuuko was starting to get frustrated. _'Did his stomach eat his damn brain out of hunger or something?! Come on, Domon! You were there!'_

"His fight with *Kai*, the guy with the huge sword! Remember?!" 

After several minutes of tense silence, the light of understanding seemed to dawn on the larger teen, and his face became solemn, darker, his earlier hunger disappeared for the moment. 

Recca was still confused, "Who's Kai?...The guy with the hood, was that it?" 

At last, Fuuko came to Recca, and patted him gently on the head. 

"Don't worry, Oh Clueless One. It's not your fault this time that you don't know what's going on." Then, placing that same hand on his shoulder, she began explaining everything that Recca had missed when he left to go after Koku as she steered him in the direction of the restaurant. 

*** 

As they rounded the bend that would lead them to the intended restaurant, Fuuko had finished relating Mikagami's entire battle to Recca, including what he had found out from Uruha Kurenai member, Kai. Throughout the entire monologue, Recca had asked so many questions along the way that Fuuko had to gag him with one of Koganei's handkerchiefs. 

By the end though, the Flame Caster was deep in thought. 

"I'll leave it up to you to figure out why Mi-chan doesn't want to join us, but I think it's pretty obvious, ne?" Fuuko concluded, a grim smile on her face. 

He let out a sigh, muttering sheepishly, "Okay...So I was wrong..." 

_'It must've been...devastating for him when he found out...'_ Recca frowned slightly, finally realizing that all this time, Mikagami had only wanted to be alone to think things over. And Recca had oh-so-brilliantly thought that he was just being an asshole. 

"So...Does this mean that dinner's off?" Kondo asked, his nasal voice breaking through the otherwise sombre silence, and Ganko hit him on the head. 

"Baka! This is serious!" 

"...How insensitive..." Kondo whimpered, which only fueled Ganko irritation. 

"You want me to be sensitive to your stomach?!" she countered. 

Recca scratched his head as he wondered out loud, ignoring the two, "Well, it's true that the mood's gone downhill ever since we found out. So...If you guys want to cancel, maybe have a celebration some other time or something...fine with me." 

Even Domon, who had originally been looking forward to ordering the most expensive dish he could find and leaving the bill for Hanabishi to settle, didn't protest. He wasn't as tactless as Kondo, although his stomach's incessant rumbling spoke for itself. Fuuko threw him a disapproving look, to which he answered with an embarrassed grin. 

Kage Houshi however, thought differently. 

"Minna-san. If Mikagami-kun wanted us to feel bad for him and order take out from some vending machine or other like we usually did, I'm sure he would've told us the reason he decided to stay back in the first place. But he didn't; he's not that cruel," she smiled, an impish glint in her eyes at the unintentional snickers her statement earned. 

"Instead, he'd rather stay back and leave us to celebrate a well-earned victory...and like I said before, we should respect his wishes, shouldn't we?" 

Recca considered his mother's words, before nodding slowly, "Yeah...You're right, 'kaasan." 

He turned to the others, all of whom were looking at him expectedly. _'So, I'm now in charge of deciding our dinner too, eh? Cool.'_

"I know we all feel kinda bad for celebrating after what we heard 'bout Mikagami...or at least, after what I heard about Mikagami. The rest of ya seemed to have known about it way beforehand," he gave the group a mock-insulted look before continuing. 

"But I think that we also *deserve* to celebrate because, no matter what, we still won the tournament! Under the circumstances, isn't that a good enough reason to have ourselves a good time? 'Cause really, I don't think we'll be going anywhere further than that ramen shop the second we get home..." 

Domon backed the mother and son up, "That's right! No matter what, we all should celebrate, because we *won*!" He couldn't hold back a grin, as parts of his victorious fight with Noroi flashed through his mind. 

And Kondo just couldn't resist remarking, "Yeah, right...You just want to have your dinner, that's all." 

This resulted in another one of the Domon/Kondo fights, which the rest of the group conveniently ignored. Koganei nodded in agreement, his guilt for leaving his 'niichan' alone slowly dissipating as he listened to Recca and the others' reasoning. They weren't doing anything wrong, just having dinner and a little fun after a long, gruesome and very painful seven days. 

Right? 

Recca grinned, "Alright, it's decided! We're gonna go in, we're gonna have fun, and *no* long faces unless you want me to slam your freakin' long jaw in for you! Clear?" 

Fuuko rolled her eyes, "Like crystal." 

With that problem resolved, Team Hokage trooped happily through the double doors and into The Seaview, ready for a good meal in payment for all those days suffering through dry pastries and salty snack foods. Surprisingly, they had managed to find a table near the entrance within moments of their arrival. 

"That's weird..." Ganko mused, that fact not having been missed by her, "I thought this was supposed to be a famous restaurant...How'd we manage to get a table so easily?" 

Domon was confused as well, but tried to look smart and explained, "Anou...Um, I guess...we were lucky today?" 

"Who cares why? I wanna eat!" Koganei announced, and tried to wave a waiter over. Unfortunately, his hand was barely noticeable amongst the other, much taller hands, and was promptly ignored. The Kougan Anki master was beginning to wonder whether he should just stand on his chair and shout out some expletives in order to get the waiters' attention. He knew some amazingly colourful ones, even at his age, and was tempted to use it, now more than ever. 

Before he could act on it though, Fuuko noticed someone coming over to their table, squeezing his slight frame between many tables and chairs. Immediately recognizing the soft brown hair and warm, coffee-dark eyes at once, she waved him over. "Over here, Saicho-san! By the entrance!" 

Saicho from Team Ku, gave a friendly wave in return, and continued to make his way through the crowded restaurant. As he reached Team Hokage's table, he was greeted with a chorus of friendly greetings from the others. 

"Nice to see everyone again," he replied in return, his pleasant demeanour and open friendliness still as charming as ever. "Out for a victory celebration, minna-san?" 

"Hai!" Yanagi smiled, before handing the menu over to him, "What do you recommend, Saicho-san? Everything looks so expensive, I'm almost hesitant to order anything but plain water..." 

"Ara, don't forget the winners get discounts," Saicho reminded with a wink, although with his other eye being covered by his long bangs, it looked as if he had both eyes close. Flipping open the menu, he proceeded to skim over it briefly before lifting his eyes to look over the top, running them over the group as he searched for a certain someone before reverting them to the menu in hand. 

"If I may ask, where is Mikagami-san?" he questioned, eyes still politely skimming the numerous dishes the restaurant offered, although none actually registered in his mind. He was more interested in finding out where Mikagami was. 

Yanagi blinked, surprised by the sudden change of topics. They were talking about food just seconds ago. Nevertheless, she answered, "He wasn't feeling too well, and decided to stay back and rest." 

Saicho nodded, not questioning further. After all, he had also been there to witness Mikagami's fight. He knew what happened. 

"What're you doing here, Saicho?" Recca asked. He had always thought that Saicho and his teammates had left for home right after the tournament ended. That's what they'd been told, anyway. 

Saicho shrugged in response, "We were about to leave actually, after your battle with Kurei. But then Daikoku saw this restaurant and immediately wanted to try it out. There..." he pointed behind him, to the table at the other end of the room. "There they are." 

The other members of Team Ku were sitting around a round table. Recca waved at them, trying to get their attention, but they were too busy eating to notice him. Then he turned a baffled glance to Saicho, "*Daikoku* wanted to try out a restaurant?!" 

The latter chuckled. Evidently, he wasn't too surprised by Recca's reaction. "Hai...He considers himself a gourmet, of sorts," he explained, "A lot of begging was involved, and finally Shihan Dai allowed us to have a dinner here." 

Kondo interrupted, "That would explained his...large physique, no?" 

He got hit on the head again by Ganko, who immediately apologized for her toy's rudeness. Saicho blinked numbly for a moment, never seeing a stuffed toy talk before. Hokage certainly had very strange members, no doubt about that. 

_'Still, that's what makes them so endearing, ne?'_ He had to grin at that. 

"Hey!" Fuuko exclaimed when she saw the rest of the Ku group, "I see Fujimaru's there, too!" 

Domon immediately dropped the little tidbits they'd been supplied with, turning his head in the Ku's direction, "He is? Where?!" 

Saicho looked a tad worried at their reaction simply to Fujimaru's name. "Are you...still angry with us after what Fujimaru did to you?" 

Not that he could blame her, of course. Still, Fujimaru had certainly learned his lesson after being humiliated in front of an entire audience when Fuuko beat the crap out of him. The same couldn't be said about his perversions, but it would be a shame if Fuuko still wanted to tear his brains out just when he was starting to humble himself. 

Fuuko shook her head. "No, I was never angry at all of you. It's not like it was your fault or anything, right? Just Fujimaru...But, I guess we'll have to forgive and forget some time..." 

Saicho was about to say something, when suddenly he noticed through the corners of his eyes that someone else was coming their way, from the entrance. The stranger was wearing a long, thick coat over what appeared to be a simple shirt and slacks. Despite his bulky attire, he seemed to have no trouble navigating himself between the numerous tables and chairs, not even bumping into one of the waiters as he nimbly sidestepped anyone who obstructed his path. 

The stranger stopped at their table, beside him, and the chatter stopped abruptly. 

At this close a distance, Saicho was able to see that the stranger's entire attire wasn't quite as simple as it looked. Made out of very expensive material, the coat was of good quality and the accompanying shirt and slacks didn't look very cheap either. But it wasn't that big a surprise. He knew that many wealthy people had been invited by Mori Kouran to view the tournament. What was surprising was that this stranger was actually here, in this restaurant, where most rich folks wouldn't be caught dead in. 

As the stranger lifted his head, the young martial artist had the chance to view his profile. 

He had a sharp nose, pale lips accentuated by a pair of angular cheekbones, and long, ebony-black hair that reached just slightly below his shoulders, brought into a small ponytail that rested at the nape of his neck. He was tall, as tall as Domon...maybe even taller, but his build was slender, like that of an acrobat's. He looked quite young as well, around his late twenties. Saicho figured that, with a little bit of scruffiness added to his features and the right kind of clothes, he could probably pass off a teenager rather well. 

All in all, his features, while not half-bad, weren't extraordinary either. He was a person one could pass by in the street without even knowing it, unless one looked at his eyes. 

They were a smoky black, the colour of a cloud-covered sky at the peak of midnight, seemingly smothering the silver flames that burned within them. He didn't know why, but something about this stranger, something about those eyes, seemed to demand respect from anyone around him. His stance, his aura... 

It all seemed to reek of untold power. He almost had to resist the urge to bow before this stranger. 

_'Do the others feel the same?'_

The thought entered his head, and Saicho's gaze averted from the stranger to the members of Team Hokage, searching for any signs that they had felt the aura radiated by this man with the peculiar eyes. 

They didn't seem to have the same feeling that he did. _'Don't they feel anything?! This man...he doesn't look like a fighter, yet he emits the atmosphere of one so clearly...'_

The silence was broken by the stranger, as he came to stop just behind Recca, "Would you happen to be...Team Hokage from the Ura Butou Satsujin?" 

The Flame Caster nodded, slightly surprised at the stranger stopping by their table. He couldn't remember ever seeing him before. "Yeah, we're Team Hokage..." His mind, however, was concerned with another question. _What does he want with us?_

"May we help you...sir?" Kage Houshi interrupted, seeing as her son was too confused to continue. She silently wondered at the strange feeling that was suddenly growing within her; a feeling of familiarity, the sort that happens when one sees someone after spending such a long time apart, so much so that one barely even remembers what that person looked like, sounded like, felt like... 

But she could honestly say that she had never met this young man before. 

The stranger stared at her, an unknown flicker seeming to enter his eyes before he blinked them away, causing them to disappear instantly. He smiled, an affable lift of the lips, before bowing slightly out of politeness, "Maa...Gomen nasai. I should have introduced myself first. How rude of me...I am Fisurra Shun. Mori-sama invited me over to view the tournament." 

It took Recca and the others a few moments to realize that he was talking about Mori Kouran, Kurei's stepfather and organizer of the Ura Butou Satsujin.

_'So he's friends with that good-for-nothing bastard?'_ He couldn't help it; Recca immediately swallowed a huge gulp of water, nearly emptying the entire glass.

It was in vain however, for he could still feel that touch of distaste in his mouth, that bitter feeling that arose whenever dealing with anything to do with Kouran. Fisurra's association with the underworld boss did not put him in good light with the Flame Caster, that's for sure. A quick glance at his friends showed that they were thinking along the same line.

What was said next however, did surprise him quite tremendously. 

"I must thank you, Team Hokage, for winning the tournament...I was certain that you would, actually. When I saw your statistics, I felt that familiar gut instinct telling me that you had potential. And when you managed to beat the famous Team Ku, I could tell that the Goddess of Victory was smiling upon you," Fisurra said, with that same smooth smile on his face. 

Kage Houshi felt her a chill travel down her spine, turning her hands cold and her lips dry as she looked into those eyes, which seemed to focus on her alone even though its owner was addressing the entire group. She frantically searched through her mind for any memory that could match those strangely familiar silver orbs, but came up with naught. 

"...We're glad to have proven your instinct right, Fisurra-san," she replied as calmly as she could, feeling the need to say something -- anything! -- to cover up the unnerving feeling she was experiencing. 

He chuckled in return, eyes twinkling in amusement, "And for that, you have my gratitude. I have become quite a few times richer because of your victory." 

Fuuko stammered a surprised 'You're welcome', while Recca was too shocked to say anything. Someone had actually bet on a group of high school teens, and from the looks of it, it sounded as if he really was assured of a win! 

Fisurra's smoky eyes wandered over the group, and he asked lightly, "I see that one of your members is missing...The one that uses a sword. Mikagami, was it?" 

Yanagi nodded, "Hai, Mikagami-senpai decided not to come." 

"I see..." he mused aloud, before cocking his head to one side in curiousity, "But why not? Shouldn't he be celebrating alongside the rest of you?" 

"It's none of your business what Mikagami-niichan wants to do," Koganei answered curtly from the other end of the table. He had his arms folded tightly in front of him, and Recca was almost certain that there was more than a slight bit of hostility in his voice as he stared at Fisurra, his disdain for the older man painfully obvious. 

Yanagi's gaze swerved back to Koganei in surprise, but the teen refused to say anything else, ignoring Fisurra's presence in favour of picking at his plate of salted peanuts.

"Ah...touche," Fisurra replied, still keeping that same amused coolness in his tone. If he noticed Koganei's hostility, he gave no indication of it. "Yes, you are quite right, Koganei-san. It isn't any of my concern." 

He took a step back, signifying that he was leaving, before giving them a small bow, "And it seems that I am intruding on your celebration, so I shall leave. Arigatou once again, Team Hokage, for making me a richer man." 

Turning his eyes on Kage Houshi for a moment, this time openly looking at her and her alone, he nodded his head and said, "Good day, Kagero-san. My congratulations on your son's victory. I am certain that you must be proud, ne?" 

"Why...Why, yes. Yes, I am proud of Recca and his friends' achievements..." Kage Houshi stammered a shocked reply. How in the world did he know about her relationship with Recca? To everyone outside their little group, she was simply an advisor of sort; someone who just happened to know a lot about the weapons used by their opponents. 

Nothing more. 

Fisurra nodded again, this time to the rest of the group, and left, disappearing into the restaurant's large crowd. Kage Houshi was too preoccupied to notice his departure, her thoughts swirling in a mass of confusion. 

_'But more importantly...he said my name. _

'Kagero. 

'How...did he know that?' 

~tbc~


	3. Silent Night

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** Okay, this was _supposed_ to have a fighting scene in it...but when I look at it now, I think it'll be more suitable to call it an-amatuer-trying-to-bite-more-than-she-can-chew scene ^^ Next time, I'll just steal some fighting parts from Saturn-san's fics *grins* I know this is focused terribly much on Mi-chan, but it's all part of the plot! Really! ^^;; Think of it as an opening to the rest of the fic; a path that eventually leads to lots of other side roads which I'll be exploring as the fic goes on *nods vehemently* 

Thanks for pointing out the mistakes, Blue Sorceress! *huggles* Guess this is why I should really get a beta-reader, ne? ^^ Anou na...I guess I've gotten so used to writing one-shot, first-person fics that I haven't quite gotten back into the role of the narrator just yet *sweatdrop* And looking back at the first two chapters, I sorta understand what you meant about the confusion: the only reason I wasn't confused was because I wrote it! @_@ 

And not only to Blue Sorceress, but to everyone else who sent me feedback/reviews! *huggles some more* Thank you so much! *_* You're all the reason why I can't seem to get this fic out of my head at all, even during dinnertime o.o;;; 

The fragments Mi-chan hears later in the fic are in Malay, by the way ^_^ Those who study literature in my school might recognise it from a certain story =^^= Don't worry, it'll be explained later on...but if you know Malay, you could always translate it yourself ^.~ 

**SPOILERS:** Mainly for the identity of Mikagami's sister's killer...Though I'm sure that just about everyone should know who it is by now ^_^ Just take caution if you haven't reached the fight between Team Hokage and Uruha Kurenai/Scarlet! Wouldn't want anyone complaining about getting spoiled, ne? ^_~ 

**DISCLAIMER:** Yes. Flame of Recca doesn't belong to me. Yes. Its characters don't belong to me, either. But I can borrow them for just a teensy moment, right? ^_^ 

**TRANSLATIONS:**   
'neesan = older sister   
kirei = beautiful   
k'so/kuso = um, a curse? Sorta like 'damn!' ^^   
matte = wait 

==============   
The Bonds of Time   
Silent Night   
============== 

It was a quiet night. 

A warm, soothing breeze blew gently amid the twinkling stars above, their shining brilliance untainted and uncovered by the usual smog that tend to envelope the busy cities of Japan; the moon was full, with its calm, peaceful glow shedding a bluish-white light upon anything it touched, and revealing the darkness of shadow anywhere it didn't. The weather was so calm tonight, so unlike the stormy turmoil that filled the lone figure's heart. 

Mikagami stood on the wide balcony, elbows resting lightly on its marble railing, fingers dangling uselessly in the midst of the soft, flowing breeze. His posture was hunched, and his sky-blue eyes rested absently on the magnificent view below. 

Yet the apparent blankness within them gave clue that his mind was not focused on the vista of trees and flowers below him, nor was he actually paying anything close to attention to the whispering wind around him. Rather, his conscience had wandered away from the scenery at hand to reminisce the moment when he first saw the spill of blood, caused not naturally, but by the hands of another. It would be the first of many spills he would come to see. 

Subconsciously, his hand stroked the areas that had been wounded, and then sufficiently healed by Yanagi. Yet the emotional scars remained, crystal clear within his mind's eye; he could almost feel the blood still tainting his skin, almost smell the copper scent as it dried. 

Seven years ago, he remembered feeling the very same way. He remembered feeling the blood on his hands, on his arms; it smeared his face and turned his vision into a bright hue of red. It felt so warm, and yet it brought about such dread as it spilled onto him, over him, around him. 

The similarity was not lost on him. It almost seemed like deja vu, with the only difference being that the blood of the past had belonged to another. 

_'...'Neesan...'_

Flashes of the cold, cruel eyes that had taunted him still remained in his mind, although he could finally place a name to them. Somehow, Mikagami didn't feel too thrilled by that. His master's eyes, those kind eyes that had made him give up all his trust to the older man...they didn't seem to fit those of his sister's killers. 

The killers' eyes were merciless, bloodthirsty. They taunted his inability to save the one he loved, the one person he treasured more than his own life. He could not save her. He couldn't even save himself, let alone another. He had tried to move -- god knew he tried to move out of the way! -- and yet, his body did not obey. It was as if some invisible force had struck out to hold him down, hold him still as the knife flew towards him. 

An invisible force that felt very much like fear. 

The knife struck, but it did not strike him. Someone else had taken the blow, the blow that had his name on it, and it was her blood that spilled. Hers. Not his. It had taken his own sister to save him from death, using her very body as his human shield. 

_'I swore to protect you...And I failed miserably...'_

It had taken her cry of pain to bring him out from his state of immobility. It was all that echoed within his mind, piercing his consciousness and bringing him back to reality; the rapid footsteps that rushed to their room went unnoticed. Their attackers evidently heard it, though, and left almost immediately. Yet he hardly took notice of their leave, his attention focused on his dying sister. 

She lay in a puddle of thick, dark blood, her eyes wide and unseeing, her long, chestnut-brown hair dampened by the scarlet liquid. Her blood. It hadn't occurred to him to call for an ambulance at that time. A child of a mere ten years, Mikagami's entire state of mind had been shocked into emptiness, as he cradled her gently within his arms, not caring even as his clothes were stained a crimson red. He had to wake her up, keep her conscious, keep her alive... 

Someone else had called for help. 

But it was too late; the wound was too deep, and too much blood had been lost. As the seconds ticked by painfully slowly, he felt the hope of reviving his sister slowly dissipating. Reality sat on him like a harsh wake up call, as he realised that, no matter how hard the neighbours tried to convince him otherwise, she couldn't be saved. And he was right. Then again, he was rarely wrong, wasn't he? 

The paramedics didn't even need to take her to the hospital. They announced her death there and then...but only after she had given him their family treasure: Ensui. It was almost as if Ensui had brought her back to life, stalled her moment of death, even if only for a short moment, to ensure that it was given to its rightful master. 

Then, the light in her warm brown eyes died, and she was still. The paramedics covered her pale face, once rosy and warm with love, and wheeled her into the ambulance. And he was left standing there, grief and pain filling his heart to the point of bursting, his family's heirloom within his hand. He couldn't remember screaming his sister's name, nor could he remember slumping to his knees as he grieved her death. 

Everything had turned into a complete blank; a vacuum within the space of his mind. What Mikagami recalled was merely what the neighbours had told him. 

They said he had cried, but he couldn't remember the wetness that was supposed to come with tears. They said he had screamed until his voice grew hoarse, yet he couldn't remember even uttering a word. If he tried to recall those faint memories, all he brought up were scenes he remembered from the attack: the knife, the earrings, the laughter. Everything about the actual incident was so startling clear, yet its aftermath was a terrible mess of blood and screams and unnamed faces surrounding him, trying to bring him out of his stupor. 

Mikagami continued to stay with the landlord, who had allowed him to do so more as an act of publicity than any real kindness. The killing had been broadcast on the news that following night, with reports on the "poor younger brother who had nowhere else to turn to". Naturally, people would expect the current landlord to take him in. And naturally, the latter complied, turning it into a form of publicity for his company at the same time. 

Such a thought never occurred to him, though. All he thought about, day and night, was of the expression on his sister's face when the knife plunged deep into her back. He never once stepped foot into the room where they were attacked since that day. Even when he merely passed the room, the awful memories would return. They teased him during the day, coming in flashes every once in a while, and tormented him at night. In his dreams, he had to relive every moment of it, over and over again. 

He woke up endless times in the middle of the night, crying for his sister. But she would not come, for she was dead. Dead and buried. The funeral was short, ending by noon. Not many had come, as they had lost contact with most of their old friends when they had moved. The few who came were only able to offer sympathetic comments at most. 

_'The following days passed so slowly, and more than once I thought I was simply living a realistic nightmare. I wanted to wake up. I tried to wake up. But just when I thought I had escaped it, I would find your grave, and then the nightmare would begin all over again.'_

They had all thought he was slowly learning to cope with his sister's death. He's doing so well, the counselor had said. Yet on one of those slow, steady days, he woke up to a sudden change that shocked everyone: his hair had turned white. 

Every single strand, from root to tip, had changed into a shiny, silvery white. The counselor was fired, and a new one brought, yet none could find the cure for this sudden transformation. Everyone had been very subtle about it, having been specifically instructed not to purposefully bring it to attention, yet the shock factor was still there, and whispered conversations continued behind the scenes. 

Unlike the rest, Mikagami hadn't been as shocked as they had expected; on the flip side, he had taken the change rather calmly. 

_'I had always known that I would never get over it. No matter how many counselors urged me to move on, I would never let myself forget about you.'_

The same nonchalant treatment wasn't experienced in school, though. The children laughed at him, made fun of him, termed him a weirdo that no one wanted to befriend. And they left him alone. 

Slender fingers reached up to caress his now-long hair, as Mikagami watched it glisten under the light of the moon. He tried to recall how he'd looked like previously, with his original hair colouring, yet the picture just didn't seem right. While at first he had been slightly uncomfortable with the silver gleam, after seven years of being tormented about its oddness, it was now as much a part of him as his limbs were. 

As all this happened, Ensui lay in his bottom-most desk drawer, untouched since that fateful day. 

_'I hated it. I hated Ensui for drawing those killers to my home...They came looking for Ensui, and killed you instead. I hated it.'_

But as time passed, the seed of vengeance grew within his heart. The police hadn't turned up any suspects. No one had a clue on who killed his sister. When the case was closed, unsolved, that seed soon blossomed into full-blown hatred. The police may be willing to give up, but he wasn't going to let it go so easily. It wasn't their sister who was killed, it was his -- and as such, he had to step in personally if he wished to avenge her. 

On the eve of his eleventh birthday, Mikagami finally unveiled his chosen weapon: the madougu, Ensui. He would use it to slay the murderers of his sister; one by one he would hunt them down and deal them the punishment they so deserved. Using Ensui was merely the icing of the cake; he found a sense of poetic justice in eliminating the killers using the weapon of the very person they had killed. 

And he'd found someone to help him: sword master Meguri Kyoza. 

*** 

Lowering his head, Mikagami wondered what he had done to deserve this outcome. He hadn't ever been truly cruel nor evil the entire time his sister was alive. Oh, there were always those times when he'd flipped her skirt, or caught a grasshopper and never let it go...but those didn't warrant a punishment such as this. 

Neither did he actually kill someone when in the midst of finding her killer...injured, yes. But kill? Never. It had simply never come down to that sort of ending. So what had he done, that led to a punishment as merciless as this? 

"Why...?" 

Meguri Kyoza, his sensei, had killed Mikagami Mifuyu, his sister. She had been the only family he ever had, and his sensei, whom he had once considered to be his father figure, killed her. Killed her, and at the same time, killed his happiness. It ran over and over again in his mind like a never-ending cycle of miserable torture. 

The two people he trusted most in his life. One dead, killed by the other, who had gone missing... 

"It wasn't just a coincidence, was it, sensei?" he whispered softly, "You lied to me; you said that you wanted to help me find the killers, when you had actually planned her death all along..." 

The wind echoed loudly as it gradually picked up, as if moaning for the deep sadness of its lone spectator. But it gave no answer, merely company. Mikagami bit his lip hard, trying to contain the urge within him to just break down and cry. Like he was said to have done seven years ago. 

He'd stopped that useless habit after beginning his training, though. There was no time for sadness, or grief, or mourning. He had to practice constantly to achieve his goal of revenge. Crying would solve nothing, only waste precious time and energy, hence he shouldn't even bother with it; Meguri had always said so. 

The knot in his stomach, which had appeared during the tournament and remained throughout the evening, seemed to twist itself even harder; the tightness in his throat increased, burning his eyes with unshed tears. He hadn't cried for so long...he'd almost forgotten how it felt. Lifting a hand to his forehead, he could feel the hot flush of his face as it contrasted greatly with the coolness of his hand. 

Clamping down tightly upon his rising emotions, Mikagami willed himself silently to calm down. He couldn't let himself cry. Couldn't lose control. _'I'm seventeen...Seventeen! How can I cry like a ten-year old when I'm seventeen...'_

A faint shudder crawled up his spine. Wrapping his arms possessively around himself, he tried to warm the chill in his body, but it didn't work. Even when the wind was warm tonight, it didn't serve any purpose other than being an annoyance to him. He used to cry, when he was younger. And Mifuyu would always come to make it all better. She would hug him, assure him that everything would be alright, that nothing could hurt him as long as he believed in himself... 

_'But she's not here any longer...I'm all alone now...'_ A tiny trickle escaped, and slowly moved down, creating a thin streak of silver across his left cheek. The lone tear seemed icy compared to the heat on his face. Wiping it away quickly with one hand, Mikagami couldn't help but wonder when was it the last time he cried. _'Since I turned eleven...'_

Since he picked up Ensui and began his quest for vengeance, his descent into unending hatred. 

Since then...everything had been bottled up. Emotions. Feelings. It had been the only way for him to endure the pain...the agonising pain of loneliness that he felt, when the most important person in his life left him. 

This recent news though, delivered so suddenly in the Ura Butou Satsujin, was enough to literally break the tightly-shut bottle open. It came flowing out from within him, an angry wave of emotions, in the form of tears and quiet sobs. To stop the flow would be a futile task; it would be like trying to hold back a raging flood with a dam made from a handful of sticks and stones. 

Mikagami slid to the floor slowly, his back supported by one of the pillars that connected the railing to the floor. Pulling his knees together until they reached his chin, he rested his forehead gently on them as his arms encircled the lower part of his legs. His eyes shut tightly, squeezing out more tears in the process. He used to do that a lot when he was frightened; a young child trying to seek solace from the darkness. Maybe it would still work. 

He could feel the weariness finally taking its toll upon his body. His mind was still active, though not entirely coherent. Random images of his entire life flashed by in quick sequences: Mifuyu yelling at him for messing up the kitchen; Mifuyu searching for him when he was lost in the park; Meguri showing him how to hold a sword for the first time; Meguri demonstrating a two-partner kata; and... 

Team Hokage. The people he had fought against and alongside with. He had been roped into their little group somehow, bit by bit, even though he had about as much in common with them as fish did with birds. 

The howl of a wolf could be heard, loud and clear amidst the quietness of the night... 

_'A wolf?!'_

He hadn't gone that deep into insanity just yet. He still remembered that he was actually in a hotel, and that wolves did not live in hotels. Mikagami leaped to his feet and immediately headed to the edge of the balcony. His hands perched stiffly on the railing, he was just in time to catch the wolf looking up at him from below, perched on a tall ledge-shaped rock. 

_'No, it was waiting for me...'_ he realised with a surprising certainty. He leaned forward slightly, a strange sense of anticipation growing within him at the sight of the animal below. 

Its fur looked soft and silky, not rough like one would expect from a wild animal; it glimmered like expensive velvet under the shining moonlight. Surprisingly, its colour was that of pure, clean snow. Not a tinge of black stained the thick, white fur, from the tip of its nose to the very end of its bushy tail. Its eyes were amber in colour, almost to the point of being gold, with the moonlight only further enhancing its glittering quality. They reminded him of two golden flames, burning brightly against its dark background. 

As Mikagami stood above, he was mesmerised by those haunting, golden eyes. _'Kirei...'_

The wolf continued to stare at him, for several long minutes, before leaping off the ledge and running off towards the lake. 

"Matte!" Desperate, unexplainable panic arose within him at seeing the magnificent creature sprint away from its perch, and before he knew what was happening, his shoes were on and Mikagami was running towards the lake as well. The earlier weariness was forgotten as adrenaline fuelled his veins, giving him the energy to actually get up and run. It was only when reaching the pathway leading to the man-made lake did he finally stop to catch his breath. 

Panting heavily, he mentally reprimanded himself, something he had come to do out of habit since Meguri left. A personal teacher, one could say. _'What the heck are you doing?! Running out in the middle of the night after some...animal...like a damn maniac!'_

For some reason, he couldn't think of the wolf as an animal. Its eyes...there was something humane about them... 

_'You stupid idiot! Idiot! Idiot! IDIOT!'_ He scowled, remembering that this could be another one of Kouran's tricks to capture them...even though it didn't really make sense. Yanagi had always been the main target all this while, so why should Kouran even bother with him? Then again, the recent events were more than enough to heighten his paranoia, and let it be said that Mikagami still wasn't in the most correct frame of mind. 

His inborn logic still remained, however small it was, and he walked slowly towards the lake, intending to get as close to it as possible. If this was a trap, then he would need Ensui's power. 

A low growl came out from the bush closest to the lake, and Mikagami whirled around to face it, his left hand reaching reflexively into his pocket for Ensui... 

...and came out with nothing. _'K'so! I left it back at the suite!'_ Mikagami resisted the urge to smack himself. Recca would laugh if he saw this. 

Ensui not with him any longer, Mikagami immediately got into a fighting stance, something Meguri had practically forced him to learn the first time he started training. As he slowly calmed his breathing, he tried to predict when the wolf would try to strike. 

In a flash of silvery-white, it leaped out with the suddenness of a lightning bolt at Mikagami, and successfully pinned him to the ground; the latter too surprised to evade. Its lethal claws tore through the thin material of his shirt, creating several deep scratches on his shoulders. Blood came oozing out slowly from the wounds, but Mikagami hardly paid any attention to his injury. 

The wolf tried to get a bite at his neck, but the Hyomon Ken master was able to recover himself quick enough, with the speed of someone who had endured harsh physical and mental training throughout his life, to sneak a hand between his neck and the razor-sharp fangs of the wolf. As he kept pushing the snow-white wolf's fangs away from his neck, a part of his mind was desperately concentrating on sneaking a knee under its soft belly. 

It took a while, for it wasn't easy to concentrate on something else when there was a pair of razor-sharp teeth hanging right above you, but somehow Mikagami had managed to get his knee right under its most sensitive spot. As the wolf was about to make its final attempt at his neck, he gave it a hard, solid kick right in the middle, sending his attacker flying backwards. 

Several loud yelps were heard as the wolf hit the hard ground, and for a moment Mikagami felt thoroughly guilty for kicking it so hard. _'Why?'_ He didn't have the time to find out. Shrugging it off as much as he could, he swiftly got back up onto his feet. 

Only to find the wolf missing. _'Damn it! He must've sneaked away while I was getting up...'_

It was almost impossible however, for Mikagami had gotten up quite quickly. How had his attacker managed to retreat without leaving any tracks, or making even the slightest noise? _'Forget about that! Concentrate. It's hiding out there...somewhere...You have to be ready for its next strike...'_

He had to be. His very life depended on it, for he knew that he wouldn't have the strength to hold off another assault such as the last one. 

A shuffle was heard from another bush, this time from behind him, but Mikagami remained still. Not turning around, not even the slightest movement was made as he listened carefully. Clear blue eyes scanned the surroundings carefully, all was quiet save his rapid panting, and with his sharp hearing he tried to estimate when and where the wolf would strike next. Once again, without a sound the snow-white wolf made a leap at him, this time from behind. 

However, this time around he was prepared, and easily moved out of the assault's range. Landing gracefully on all four paws, a swift turn was made and the wolf made another attack. Again, Mikagami was able to move easily out of its way, not missing a beat as his concentration didn't waver even for a moment. 

An angry snarl came from the wolf, furious at being toyed with, and made another attempt at its prey. This time, rather than just pinning him down, it aimed straight for his neck. The result however, was the same as before. Before this cycle could continue though, a soft, singsong voice came floating towards the two. Mikagami's concentration snapped with such suddenness when he heard it that it almost caused him to lose his footing. 

_"Maka Tuan Puteri Bongsu pun lalulah..."_

"Who is it?!" he demanded, trying to find the source of that voice. The area was empty; he couldn't sense anyone being anywhere close him. Yet the song continued to reverberate all around him, as if it emerged from the very wind itself, and not from one particular source.

_"...menangis terlalu amat sangat..."_

The wolf lifted its grand head and howled. 

_'What's happening here?'_ he wondered, confused and bewildered as the singing echoed louder and louder. It was a wonder no one else had heard it yet. The lyrics were very faint, and barely distinguishable. He could only catch fragments of the song, albeit very poorly, as its melody surrounded him. And it disturbed him immensely that he couldn't recognise the language that was being used.

_"...air matanya seperti..."_

The last fragments couldn't be heard, as the voice drifted back into the darkness, with the melody following in its wake. The wolf, no longer the terrifying beast it was before, now looked as gentle as a puppy, eyeing him with its amber eyes filled with...sadness? 

Once again, Mikagami found himself enthralled by those golden orbs, and couldn't help but admire its beauty, as he did before from the balcony. The wolf gave one last, short howl before leaping over a tall hedge and out of sight. Mikagami watched, his body paralysed, his mind screaming at him to follow. The paralysis was exactly the same as that he experienced seven years ago... 

It was happening all over again. He was covered in blood, just like before; unable to move, just like before, as his body was held down by some invisible force. Only this time, he couldn't find a word to describe what this force felt like. 

Barely minutes later he regained control over his body. He didn't bother trying to get over the hedge, in hopes of finding that wolf. 

_'It's long gone by now...'_ he mused silently, regrettably. 

The wind, a whole lot colder now than before, blew his hair all about, and chilled his damp skin. The fact that his shirt wasn't in the best of conditions didn't help warm him in the least. Pushing his long bangs out of the way, already dampened by sweat, he wrapped his arms around himself, particularly over his bleeding shoulders, in an effort to protect himself from the icy cold wind. Mikagami walked slowly back to the warmth of the bustling hotel, trying to put his thoughts back into perspective, wondering what in the world just happened. 

He still couldn't get the voice out of his mind, though. It was as if it had, during the brief time that he had heard it, been embedded permanently into his consciousness. There was an ethereal beauty in that voice; a reverberating ancientness that was similar to those of ancient opera performances. It was something not of this world... 

It sounded pure, the voice of an angel...although it was an angel that tried to kill him. _'Great. Now I'm getting all poetic.'_

A sigh escaped his lips as the wind picked up even more, causing him to tighten his hold on himself, trying to warm himself as much as he could. His long, silvery hair swayed violently against the strong wind, and Mikagami said softly, the irony plain in his soft voice, "...And it was such a quiet night..." 

It looked like he would have to take another bath before retiring to bed. 

From its perch on one of the highest branches of a nearby tree, a figure watched the Hyomon Ken master slowly make his way to the hotel. Its lips turned up into a satisfied smile, and it whispered, completing the strange song from before. The words were barely heard above the wind that snatched them away.

_"...mutiara yang putus dari karangannya..."_

The moonlight, now shining brighter than ever, swept over the figure swiftly. Protected by the thick leaves and branches of the tree, the figure's appearance and features were blurred and covered by the shadows. However, if there were anyone around to witness it, he would undoubtedly notice the two points of haunting golden flames that were its eyes, glittering under the light, burning so brightly amid the dark background that was the sky. 

And the wind, once calm and soothing, became an all-out tornado, thrashing against the trees, howling mournfully into the dark, charcoal-black night... 

~tbc~ 


End file.
